Hancock County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 93% of Hancock County's mapped land, a higher share than 98% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 33%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 121 flood losses here since 2016, 64% of them in buildings with basements. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Hancock County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 33.2% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 93.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.7% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 4.6% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 1.5% |
| Mapped soil | 341,561 acres |
How we count · survey areas OH063 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 4.6% by land area here, and 1% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 33% of the mapped land.
On 93% of Hancock County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 31.58 in, 4.82 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 36.40 in.
USDA rates 95% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 26 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 3 weeks, most recently on the November 4, 2025 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
121 flood losses since 2016, $1.6 million paid. The worst year was 2017, with 102. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 64% basements, 10% slabs, 21% crawl spaces, 5% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12.5 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 102 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 to date | 3 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 36.40 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 31.58 in (-4.82) |
| 2025 | 31.46 in (-4.94) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2011: 49.47 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1934: 22.54 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at FINDLAY AP (0 mi away) | 6 |
Homes
| Housing units | 33,920 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $204,700 |
| Single-family detached | 72% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Hancock County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia | 31% | over 99% | 262 |
| Arlington | 39% | 99% | 696 |
| Benton Ridge | 21% | 70% | 157 |
| Findlay | 15% | 66% | 19,200 |
| Jenera | 8% | 95% | 125 |
| McComb | 17% | 82% | 592 |
| Mount Blanchard | 6% | 88% | 244 |
| Mount Cory | 34% | over 99% | 106 |
| Rawson | 35% | 98% | 228 |
| Van Buren | 3% | 80% | 201 |
| Vanlue | 31% | 98% | 103 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyandot County, OH | 22 mi | 30% | 90% |
| Putnam County, OH | 24 mi | 66% | 96% |
| Hardin County, OH | 24 mi | 35% | 97% |
| Wood County, OH | 24 mi | 55% | 91% |
| Allen County, OH | 28 mi | 31% | 93% |
| Seneca County, OH | 29 mi | 26% | 89% |
| Henry County, OH | 31 mi | 62% | 96% |
| Sandusky County, OH | 36 mi | 35% | 80% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status